Think Of Dinosaurs
by tearful-eye
Summary: a tag to 101 - 'the world gets a little clearer when he touches him'


**characters.** nick, stephen  
**genre.** tag/missing scene, small bit of h/c  
**summary.** 'the world gets a little clearer when he touches him'  
**disclaimer.** not mine, what do you think? written for fun, not profit.

like i said up there, this is a small tag for primeval, episode 101 (and i really hate that this show doesn't name its episodes) - because i wanted to read something & there i so little fanfiction in that fandom (hate that too, grumble). that & i adore stephen - and you can't tell me that ramming a gorgonopsid with a truck is good for your health ;)

and if you're interested, i also posted this in my livejournal - h tt p/ /tearful-eye.l ivejo urn al .c om/13254.html (and since this sh doesn't allow links, you have to delete the blanks i had to put in for going there)

-

_Think Of Dionsaurs_

-

"You okay?"

He jumps, and jerks his body away in reaction to - no threat at all. Stephen's eyebrow lifts up, and the slightly amused expression on his face is one he normally thinks is quite adorable. Not now. Not when... Helen. What the -

"And once more: You okay? You don't look so good." Stephen takes a step closer to him and frowns a bit when he looks at him, his cheeks, chin. One hand reaches out to hover above the bruise under his left ear. "Who hit you? What the hell happened!" Strong fingers clench around the fabric of his shirt.

And the world gets a little clearer. Stephen. Fear and anger in his face, staring at him, dark eyes. The balcony, the cool night air, the sounds of cars down on the street. No Helen. No monsters trying to bite holes into him where there shouldn't be any, no teeth, strange suns, strange air. Just him. And Stephen.

His body sags a little and he doesn't care, because he knows Stephen is there to catch him with an arm around his shoulder and a smile to lean on. "You're scaring me, Nick."

"Sorry," he pats Stephen's chest while letting himself be led inside, "it's just catching up with me I think. I mean - dinosaurs?" A small, relieved smile he doesn't have to see to know it's there. "It's probably the time traveling, I'm not used to it, you know."

"Not yet, at least."

Now it's his own brow that's lifting, "oh yeah?" Grin matches grin. They're both still little boys - dreaming of dinosaurs and time travel and enjoying the forbidden pleasure of living in their own secret world. Giggling.

It must be the stress.

-

Sipping on the glass of water Stephen brought him and enjoying the familiar chaos of their lab, he stretches and sighs, "it was Captain Ryan. But he was right to," he silences the angry noise that escapes Stephen's throat. "I," he stops, because how can he tell his best friend that he'd wanted to stay in the past, not thinking about anyone else. But Helen. "I... I hit him back."

Stephen snorts, "that's something, at least. Why was he right to hit you?" After a few seconds with no answer a sharp look enters his eyes and he turns away to look at the wall, "you wanted to stay in the past." It's not a question. They know each other too well.

"Well..."

"It's okay," another small smile, "you think I wouldn't have wanted that? If I hadn't been lying unconscious somewhere in the dirt I would have been right there beside you, you know that."

And it makes Nick feel even worse, because Stephen had been trying to get a monster to eat him instead of a little boy and a school teacher, and he had been traipsing around in a world, where all his dreams had come true, and Stephen's dreams. And nightmares. Because of the camera, the bones, the initials. Helen Cutter.

Then it hits him. Tiredness forgotten, back straight: "What do you mean unconscious? Have you been to the hospital, Stephen? What the hell -"

"I'm okay. Just took a little tumble down the stairs. Just glad the Gorgonopsid didn't take a bite out of me." The young man still looks relaxed, it's something he's used to; Nick worrying about him because he'd taken a risk. A stupid risk, as the professor would say.

"Huh." It's Nick's turn to frown and feel anxious over things that are out of his control, already passed hours ago. "What did you - how close exactly was that Gorgonopsid?"

A sigh, that annoying half amused, half exasperated look, "Nick, I'm all right, I think the safety belt of that damn truck did more damage than me falling down a few stairs."

"You don't just fall down the stairs, Stephen. I know - ⌠ Another pause. How the hell does Stephen manage to say these things without him noticing? The not suspiciously innocent expression maybe, the eyes that don't shift away as if trying to hide something. In plain view, hidden all the better. "What do you mean the safety belt did more damage?" Dangerously cool.

This time Stephen's eyes do shift away and one hand comes up to rub at his shoulder, unconsciously or not - this time it's clear that no answer sometimes still is a very good answer.

"What?" Nick is still trying to empty his voice of emotions, he can be firm. He won't reach for Stephen with trembling fingers to feel his heartbeat, he won't let his breath falter. But when Stephen sighs resignedly and lifts one corner of his shirt and the white of a fresh bandage peeks out, he can't help but swallow hard and get up from the comfortable seat to sit close to his friend. There is nothing wrong with that. Nothing.

Only when he notices that the white feels dry and rough under his fingers he realizes that he can't control his movements as much as he thinks. And he never understood how bandages like that could be comfortable on a wound anyway. "What - ?"

"Bruises mainly, three cracked ribs, shoulder got a bit banged up too."

"Stephen I swear -"

"I'm all right, Nick," judging by the calm and soothing tone of Stephen's voice he's not really doing very well with being cool and relaxed. "Just think about dinosaurs." A grin he can't help but respond to - with sliding back in the couch, laying one of his arms on the back of it, careful not touch him, but close enough to feel the heat of the compact body next to his.

"Dinosaurs. I can do that." Still, his voice trembles and Stephen leans back as well, his neck brushing against his forearm. "Don't ever do that again." Only a whisper. Stephen's fingers brush against his thigh, he feels safe. "Not now, Stephen, when we just discovered a way to study real living dinosaurs."

He can feel the almost excited smile and answers it, knowing that Stephen is not even looking at him. There is silence, but not like before, not like when the thought of his wife banished everything else, slowed time, caught the breath in his throat. The minutes that trickle by are a bit like honey, engulfing them in a bubble of sticky sweetness and warmth. The sound of far off voices and machines don't disturb the calm.

He can think.

Feel.

"You're gonna have to pay for that by the way, cause that was my car you wrecked."

It's weak, but laughter is still the best way to conquer shock.

-

**fin.**

-

...so. what do you think?


End file.
